Asher murder defendant waives preliminary hearing

An Asher man charged with first-degree murder in the December shooting death of his college classmate will stand trial in the case after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.

Comment

By Kim Morava

The Shawnee News-Star

By Kim Morava

Posted Apr. 11, 2013 at 5:10 PM
Updated Apr 11, 2013 at 5:35 PM

By Kim Morava

Posted Apr. 11, 2013 at 5:10 PM
Updated Apr 11, 2013 at 5:35 PM

An Asher man charged with first-degree murder in the December shooting death of his college classmate will stand trial in the case after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.

Jerrod Murray, 18, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday in Pottawatomie County District Court. During such a hearing, a judge determines if there’s enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial.

Murray waived his right to that hearing and is now scheduled for arraignment on April 17, where’s he’ll formally enter a plea in the case.

Murray is accused in the shooting death of Generro Sanchez, 18. Both the suspect and victim were freshmen at East Central University in Ada and reportedly lived in the dorms on campus.

Murray is accused of offering Sanchez $20 to take him on a trip to Walmart, but instead forced him at gunpoint to drive to an area about five miles north of Asher, where arrest affidavit alleges Murray shot and killed his classmate and left is body in the ditch.

Murray allegedly admitted to investigators that he'd been planning to kill someone for the previous three weeks, according to the arrest affidavit, and targeted Sanchez, who he only knew by his first name.

Prosecutors are planning to seek the death penalty in this case against Murray.

Three defendants charged in two other local murder cases also were set for preliminary hearing son Friday.

Joseph Neay, 22, is accused of unlawfully, and with malice aforethought, causing the death of Shawnee residents Marty Lee Jones by stabbing him with a knife, charges read.

Jones, 45, was found dead Nov. 2 in his home, 709 E. 11th, and Neay was arrested in the case later that afternoon.

Police said a postal carrier delivering mail reported smoke coming from the house just before 10 a.m. Shawnee firefighters responded to battle that blaze and found Jones dead in the kitchen.

According to reports in the case, Neay allegedly admitted walking to the home to confront Marty Jones about allegedly assaulting his mother. He allegedly told detectives he walked into the front door and that he and Jones began fighting in the bedroom.

Neay’s preliminary hearing was postponed until Aug. 2.

Two brothers from McLoud charged in the death of a man found dead at Shawnee Twin Lakes in December were scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday. One brother waived his hearing while the other’s was postponed for a competency evaluation.

The body of Adam Pacheco, 27, was found Dec. 29 about halfway down the north side of the dam on Belcher Road at Lake No. 1. His cause of death was ruled as multiple gunshot wounds.

Andrew Fish, 25, is charged with murder the first degree, deliberate intent. He is accused of “deliberately, intentionally, with malice aforethought,” causing the death of Pacheco by shooting him in the head with a firearm. The hearing for Andrew Fish was continued until May 3 to allow time for a competency evaluation.

Page 2 of 2 - Reuben Fish is charged with accessory after the fact and is accused of having knowledge that his brother committed the crime of murder, charges show. Prosecutors also allege Reuben Fish aided his brother in moving Pacheco’s body from their residence in McLoud so that Andrew Fish could avoid or escape arrest in the crime, charges show. Reuben Fish waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday. He is now scheduled for arraignment on April 17.

All the defendants remain jailed in the Pottawatomie County Public Safety Center.